The Center of Us
by LycanRoyalty
Summary: The story starts with Hayley's arrival to New Orleans and the events that transpired thereafter. It will be completely AU,told mostly from Hayley's point of view, with an unexpected romance. She has warring feelings for Klaus, but feelings for another from Mystic Falls and the upcoming birth of her child, who possesses more power than anyone knows, could challenge everything.


CHAPTER ONE

In the Beginning

Sometimes, when I'm alone, I think. I think way too much. I consider that maybe life has always been a series of disappointments. Maybe life -my life- was always meant to be a ball of confusion, all rolled into a big cocoon of screwed up. I mean, that's the only logical explanation I can pull out of my ass. Everyone in my life has let me down in one way or another. I've never expected anything good to happen, because usually when it does there's always the shitstorm waiting tight on its tail.

My parents abandoned me. My adoptive parents basically threw me out on my ass because I was different. Every guy in my life has basically been a liar. I could go on, and I'm sure if I could list all the reasons why my life sucked, it would roll on a scroll halfway down any given street. But if I had to name the top reason that all changed? It would be getting knocked up…..I know, I know. How the hell is getting knocked up a good thing? Well, I didn't think it was either. At least, not at the time.

When I found out, all I could think about was getting rid of it. It's a terrible thing to say, but it's true. I wasn't even supposed to be pregnant. It was, like, supposed to be genetically impossible, considering my partner of choice. But I should have known, a one night stand with Klaus Mikaelson wouldn't be the average roll in the hay. Of course, he'd be the "one in a million hybrid" -yes, you hear it with the quote fingers and all- that could get a wolf knocked up. I kept thinking I should have never gone to Mystic Falls, and probably should have stopped at the one glass of bourbon, and I reeeallly shouldn't have gone anywhere near a hot, charming guy while I was in heat. But like I said, life… It's chock full of should'ves, could'ves, and a whole lot of "if I had known that, I would'ves."

When I went to New Orleans looking for information about my real parents, the clan I was from, and anything I could possibly find out about myself or my identity, I honestly hadn't expected to find much. It figures that the one time I expected nothing, I got a lot more than I bargained for. Pregnant and freaking super nanny'd by a bunch of psychotic witches, hellbent on getting rid of some vampire named Marcel, or whoever. And who was the perfect pawn in the middle of an unseen chessboard to get Klaus to help with their Salem witch crusade? Little ole me. The choice they gave him was that they could kill me and his baby -both tied to some bitch named #Sophie- or he could usurp Marcel from his very own French Quarter throne so the witches could use their precious magic that had apparently been banned during Marcel's reign. His reaction when he found out -in a graveyard I might add- was that it couldn't possibly be his and he didn't care what they did to me.

I've faced rejection so many times that it practically became a lifestyle, and from him I couldn't expect any more. I mean, the guy had about as much of a heart as a plank of plywood. Besides, he had his own plans and agenda where Marcel was concerned, and for him, this baby and I were just obstacles in the way. Examples of weaknesses he couldn't have. Taking all of that into understanding consideration, I still found myself actually fearing for my life. But not just _my_ life anymore, but for the life that was growing steadily inside me.

It scared me, the protectiveness I felt, over a child that had barely formed. I didn't know if it was a girl or a boy, but more than that, I didn't know the first thing about being a mother. Especially in a life like this.

If not for his brother, Elijah, Klaus would have more than likely held true to his word. I didn't know much about him, other than his none too impeccable reputation, but if only for his pride he would have left me in their hands if Elijah hadn't been able to get through to him. Unlike Klaus, he was kind, noble, and cared about others more than he cared about himself. I couldn't understand how they shared the same DNA, at all.

But that's how I came to be here, three months later, confined to a plantation house for my own "safety," only it feels strangely like house arrest for preggos.

"I don't get why it's so hard for you to just pick up a gallon of ice cream," I say, features scrunched with rapidly growing annoyance as I stand before Klaus in all my barefoot glory, clad in an unflattering t-shirt.

I think I'm taking the "barefoot and pregnant" expectation a little too seriously.

Klaus looks at me in that condescending way that only he can before he answers me, albeit begrudgingly, "Look, love, this isn't the bloody Hilton, and the last time I checked, I'm not a maid service. You want your ice cream, why don't you ask my dashing big brothah to get it for you? He's always a sucker for the damsel in distress act."

My jaw sets as I narrow my eyes, hands on my ever widening hips. There's nothing I like being reminded of less than how whiny I sound. It's _so_ far from who I am, "Because I asked _you_, Klaus. You. You, who's got me confined here like some dirty little secret, for my.." And there were the quote fingers again. "..safety. I never ask you for anything, and you can't even bring me a gallon of freaking ice cream. I do have to eat, you know?"

A growl of frustration sounds low in his throat before he throws down the paper he was reading -you know, before I so nicely interrupted- and rises to storm from the room with purposeful footsteps. But I follow. Unless the purpose of those purposeful footsteps is to get my ice cream, he's not getting off that damn easily.

Aware that I'm behind him, he grumbles over his shoulder, "Yes, yes I know. But you could try vegetables. Very healthy, I hear."

"Oh my god, are you kidding me?!" I exclaim.

Like a spectre, never making a show when he enters, Elijah stands blocking both our paths, and I wonder how long he's been lurking around. As usual, he looks regal, serious, as if he's contemplating every move he makes and has knowledge of every thought we have. He's been kind to me though, for an Original. It's no wonder he's so infamous. For a much better reason than his pigheaded brother.

"Is everything alright?" He asks me, though his eyes rest on Klaus.

I smile caustically, before casting an ireful glance Klaus's way. "No, everything is not alright. You know this asshole, you call a brother? I asked him to get me some ice cream while he was out, you know…" I gesture downwards to the lower half of my body. "..because I can't _leave_ or anything, and he conveniently forgot."

If Elijah can appear amused, he does right now, his respectful gaze in my direction as I spoke, transferring once again to a fuming Klaus. His tone belies the subtle amusement that his features mask, syllables delivered smoothly and with the articulate air of a gentleman, "While I would like to think that he is concerned for your safety in this matter, I will not spare you with fallacies. My brother may be many things, Hayley, but selfless, thoughtful, and obliging, are sadly not on his list of qualities. I do apologize on his behalf, and would be more than happy to get whatever it is you might need."

Klaus gestures towards him, a patronizing smile on his face that's dangerously brimming into smug territory. "There you have it. Now. You two have fun, I've got a kingdom to steal back."

Even though he took the deal with the witches, the issue with Marcel has proven to be not so easily resolved. Marcel took things over when Klaus and his family left, he made New Orleans what it is now, and he's definitely not itching to hand the reins back over to -for lack of better term- Daddy Dearest. Which means that Klaus has to play nice. And him playing nice usually means scheming behind someone's back.

I roll my eyes as he brushes past Elijah and within the time it takes them to make full rotation, he's gone. A sigh that sounds more like a growl of exasperation escapes my lips as my eyes meet Elijah's. "Ugh! I don't know how you can deal with him."

His smile is kind, eyes reflective of his affection for Klaus, needing no eloquent or elaborate speech to explain the simple words he delivers in reply: "For better or for worse, he has been and always will be, my brother."


End file.
